I’ve asked a lot of people over the last couple of weeks, how they’re planning to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year. Because of the stage of life that we’re in, a lot of those were couples with young kids. Most people said that they were going to celebrate as a family, while others weren’t planning on celebrating at all. I wanted to help by providing some ideas to celebrate Valentine’s Day with kids. (Author’s Note: This paragraph was written last year. But the same is still true this year. Based on conversations I’ve had recently.)
In the years before we had kids, we went on overnight getaways, turned our apartment into a romantic bed & breakfast, or went out for a fancy meal to celebrate. We’ve never really had a set tradition for Valentine’s day. But last year I decided that I wanted to start one. And find a way to celebrate the holiday that will last for years to come.
It doesn’t sound romantic, but it can be fun to celebrate Valentine’s day with kids. And they go to bed at some point, so you’ll still have time to celebrate together afterward. I hope that this post will inspire you, if you have young kids, to expand your celebration to include time for your family as well as just the two of you each year!
For more date night ideas like these ones, check out the book, Prioritizing Date Night in Your Marriage, with 300+ date night ideas.
The hard thing about this holiday is that most people are going out on dates of their own. And a lot of teenagers are babysitting for those couples or off to parties of their own. If you can find someone who doesn’t have plans for the evening, snatch them up to babysit for you. If you do go out for the night, plan on a long wait. Or think of activities you can do that won’t be as busy.
Have Valentine’s Day party with your kids. Turn on fun love songs and deck the entire house in pink and red decorations. Use paper plates and plastic silverware so that nobody has to do the dishes after dinner. And so that you can add more color to the room. Make all of your food heart-shaped with cookie cutters or a knife and some artistic skills. After dinner, exchange Valentine’s with each other. Have a dance party in the living room. And read some holiday books that you picked up from the library.
One thing we learned our first Valentine’s Day together is that if you go out to dinner a little later, like after 7:30 or 8, you aren’t going to run into the crowds. That might feel a little late for dinner, so you could eat dinner as a family and plan to go out for appetizers or dessert after the kids are in bed and the babysitter comes over. Not only will you be missing the crowds, but you’ll have spent quality time as a family and still be able to make time for your marriage as well.
This is what we’ll be doing this year. We’re going to use my “celebrate as a family idea”. And then do something just the two of us after the kids are in bed. Check out the recipes on our site for some great dessert ideas for after the kids are in bed. Or use one of our at-home date night ideas to make the night a little more fun. We love to curl up on the couch with one of our favorite date night movies. Or toss one of our favorite bath bombs into the tub and drink some sparkling cider while we soak. Your date doesn’t have to be fancy, but use it as an opportunity to connect and focus on your love.
By celebrating the holiday a little early or a little late, you’ll be able to avoid the crowds and secure a babysitter. You might miss out on the date night deals offered at different businesses in the area, but it’s still a good option. Last year we celebrated the weekend after the holiday, with a dinner date and Wicked the Musical. In years past, we’ve gone on an overnight date the weekend before the holiday. Or gone on our date the weekend after, when the holiday has fallen in the middle of the week
Think beyond the traditional dinner date and go out together during another part of the holiday. Go into work late so you can grab breakfast after the kids are in school. Plan extra time for lunch and meet up in the middle of the day. You’ll still get time together, be able to spend time as a family at night and you’ll avoid crowds at the same time. As a bonus, breakfast foods are always delicious, lunch prices are cheaper for almost the same amount of food. And you could potentially hit happy hour and get your drinks and some delicious appetizers at a discounted price.
Our long-term plan is to start celebrating the Valentine’s holiday as a family. And then we’ll celebrate as a couple later that night or on another day. As our kids get older, I hope that we can continue our tradition of spending some time together on the holiday and doing something special as a family to celebrate our love for each other. I have even had the thought that it might even be fun to host a Valentine’s Day party for our grandkids when we reach that stage. So that our kids can go out with their significant other for a romantic date or even overnight.
How are you planning to spend Valentine’s Day this year?
